Communication is neither transmission of message nor message itself. It is the mutual exchange of understanding, originating with the reciever.

Communication needs to be effective in business. Communication is essence of management. The basic functions of management (Planning,Organizing, Staffing, Directing and Controlling) cannot be performed well without effective communication. Business communication involves constant flow of information. Feedback is integral part of business communication. Organizations these days are verly large. It involves number of people. There are various levels of hierarchy in an organization. Greater the number of levels, the more difficult is the job of managing the organization. Communication here plays a very important role in process of directing and controlling the people in the oragnization. Immediate feedback can be obtained and misunderstandings if any can be avoided. There should be effective communication between superiors and subordinated in an organization, between organization and society at large(for example between management and trade unions). It is essential for success and growth of an organization. Communication gaps should not occur in any organization.

What is Managerial Communication ?

Managerial communication is a function which helps managers communicate with each other as well as with employees within the organization. Communication helps in the transfer of information from one party also called the sender to the other party called the receiver. Managerial Communication helps in the smooth flow of information among managers working towards a common goal. The message has to be clear and well understood in effective communication. The team members should know what their manager or team leader intends to communicate. Effective managerial communication enables the information to flow in its desired form among managers, team leaders and their respective teams. Managerial communication is of the following two types: Interpersonal Communication - Interpersonal communication generally takes place between two or more individuals at the workplace.

Organizational Communication - Communication taking place at all levels in the organization refers to organizational communication.

Ways of Managerial Communication

A successful manager is one who communicates effectively with his subordinates. It is really essential for managers to express their views clearly for the team members to understand what exactly is expected out of them. Usually there are two ways managers communicate amongst themselves and with their subordinates: i. Verbal Communication Communication done with the help of words is called as verbal communication. No written records are available in verbal communication. In verbal communication individuals need to be very careful about their speech. What they speak and how they speak matter a lot. Managers must choose the right words to address their team members. Make sure you do not confuse your team members. One has to be loud and clear while interacting with employees at the workplace. Be very clear and precise. ii. Written Communication Communication is also done through emails, letters, manuals, notices and so on. Such mode of communication where written records are available is often called written communication. Managers must inculcate a practice of communicating through emails with their juniors as it is the one of the most reliable modes of communication. It is essential for the managers to master the art of writing emails.

Avoid using capitals, bright colours, designer font styles in official mails. Make sure your signatures are correct. Body Language Managers must also take special care of their body language, facial expressions, gestures for effective communication. A manager who always has a frown on his face is generally not liked and respected by people. Being a Boss does not mean you need to shout at people. Be warm and friendly with your team members.

Organizational Communication
Organizational Communication is of the following two types: i. Formal Communication Communication which follows hierarchy at the workplace is called as formal communication. Employees communicate formally with each other to get work done within the desired time frame. ii. Informal Communication Employees also communicate with each other just to know what is happening around. Such type of communication is called as informal communication and it has nothing to do with designation of individuals, level in the hierarchy and so on.

Direction of Communication Flow

i. Upward Communication Flow of information from employees to managers is called upward communication. Upward communication takes place when employees share their views with their managers on their nature of work, job responsibilities and how they feel about the organization on the whole. ii. Downward Communication Downward communication takes place when information flows from managers to the subordinates. Managers often give orders and directions to their subordinates as to what to do and how to do various tasks. Such type of communication is called downward communication. Business Communication is goal oriented. The rules, regulations and policies of a company have to be communicated to people within and outside the organization. Business Communication is regulated by certain rules and norms. In early times, business communication was limited to paper-work, telephone calls etc. But now with advent of technology, we have cell phones, video conferencing, emails, satellite communication to support business communication. Effective business communication helps in building goodwill of an organization. Business Communication can be of two types:

1. Oral Communication - An oral communication can be formal or informal. Generally business 2.

communication is a formal means of communication, like : meetings, interviews, group discussion, speeches etc. An example of Informal business communication would be - Grapevine. Written Communication - Written means of business communication includes - agenda, reports, manuals etc.

Components of Communication

We know that communication is a process of transmitting and receiving messages (verbal and nonverbal). Communication is a dialogue not a monologue. So, a communication is said to be effective only if it brings the desired response from the receiver. Communication consists of six components or elements. Components of Communication 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Context Context Sender/Encoder Message Medium Receiver/Decoder Feedback

Every message (Oral or written), begins with context. Context is a very broad field that consists different aspects. One aspect is country, culture and organization. Every organization, culture and country communicate information in their own way. Another aspect of context is external stimulus. The sources of external stimulus includes; meeting, letter, memo, telephone call, fax, note, email and even a casual conversation. This external stimuli motivates you to respond and this response may be oral or written. Internal stimuli is another aspect of communication. Internal Stimuli includes; You opinion, attitude, likes, dis-likes, emotions, experience, education and confidence. These all have multifaceted influence on the way you communicate you ideas. A sender can communicate his ideas effectively by considering all aspects of context mentioned above. Sender/Encoder Encoder is the person who sends message. In oral communication the encoder is speaker, and in written communication writer is the encoder. An encoder uses combination of symbols, words, graphs and pictures understandable by the receiver, to best convey his message in order to achieve his desired response. Message Message is the information that is exchanged between sender and receiver. The first task is to decide what you want to communicate and what would be the content of your message; what are the main points of your message and what other information to include. The central idea of the message must be clear. While writing the message, encoder should keep in mind all aspects of context and the receiver (How he will interpret the message). Messages can be intentional and unintentional. Medium Medium is the channel through which encoder will communicate his message. How the message gets there. Your medium to send a message, may be print, electronic, or sound. Medium may be a person as postman. The choice of medium totally depends on the nature of you message and contextual factors discussed above. Choice of medium is also influence by the relationship between the sender and receiver. The oral medium, to convey your message, is effective when your message is urgent, personal or when immediate feedback is desired. While, when your message is ling, technical and needs to be documented, then written medium should be preferred that is formal in nature. These guidelines may change while communicating internationally where complex situations are dealt orally and communicated in writing later on. Receiver/Decoder The person to whom the message is being sent is called receiver/'decoder. Receiver may be a listener or a reader depending on the choice of medium by sender to transmit the message. Receiver is also influenced by the context, internal and external stimuli.

Receiver is the person who interprets the message, so higher the chances are of mis-communication because of receivers perception, opinion, attitude and personality. There will be minor deviation in transmitting the exact idea only if your receiver is educated and have communication skills. Feedback Response or reaction of the receiver, to a message, is called feedback. Feedback may be written or oral message, an action or simply, silence may also be a feedback to a message. Feedback is the most important component of communication in business. Communication is said to be effective only when it receives some feedback. Feedback, actually, completes the loop of communication.

Types of Communication People communicate with each other in a number of ways that depend upon the message and its context in which it is being sent. Choice of communication channel and your style of communicating also affects communication. So, there are variety of types of communication. Types of communication based on the communication channels used are: 1. Verbal Communication 2. Nonverbal Communication Verbal Communication Verbal communication refers to the the form of communication in which message is transmitted verbally; communication is done by word of mouth and a piece of writing. Objective of every communication is to have people understand what we are trying to convey. In verbal communication remember the acronym KISS(keep it short and simple). When we talk to others, we assume that others understand what we are saying because we know what we are saying. But this is not the case. usually people bring their own attitude, perception, emotions and thoughts about the topic and hence creates barrier in delivering the right meaning. So in order to deliver the right message, you must put yourself on the other side of the table and think from your receivers point of view. Would he understand the message? how it would sound on the other side of the table? Verbal Communication is further divided into: Oral Communication Written Communication Oral Communication In oral communication, Spoken words are used. It includes face-to-face conversations, speech, telephonic conversation, video, radio, television, voice over internet. In oral communication, communication is influence by pitch, volume, speed and clarity of speaking. Advantages of Oral communication are: It brings quick feedback. In a face-to-face conversation, by reading facial expression and body language one can guess whether he/she should trust whats being said or not. Disadvantage of oral communication In face-to-face discussion, user is unable to deeply think about what he is delivering, so this can be counted as a

Written Communication In written communication, written signs or symbols are used to communicate. A written message may be printed or hand written. In written communication message can be transmitted via email, letter, report, memo etc. Message, in written communication, is influenced by the vocabulary & grammar used, writing style, precision and clarity of the language used. Written Communication is most common form of communication being used in business. So, it is considered core among business skills. Memos, reports, bulletins, job descriptions, employee manuals, and electronic mail are the types of written communication used for internal communication. For communicating with external environment in writing, electronic mail, Internet Web sites, letters, proposals, telegrams, faxes, postcards, contracts, advertisements, brochures, and news releases are used. Advantages of written communication includes: Messages can be edited and revised many time before it is actually sent. Written communication provide record for every message sent and can be saved for later study. A written message enables receiver to fully understand it and send appropriate feedback. Disadvantages of written communication includes: Unlike oral communication, Written communication doesnt bring instant feedback. It take more time in composing a written message as compared to word-of-mouth. and number of people struggles for writing ability. Nonverbal Communication Nonverbal communication is the sending or receiving of wordless messages. We can say that communication other than oral and written, such as gesture, body language,posture, tone of voice or facial expressions, is called nonverbal communication.Nonverbal communication is all about the body language of speaker. Nonverbal communication helps receiver in interpreting the message received. Often, nonverbal signals reflects the situation more accurately than verbal messages.Sometimes nonverbal response contradicts verbal communication and hence affect the effectiveness of message. Nonverbal communication have the following three elements: Appearance Speaker: clothing, hairstyle, neatness, use of cosmetics Surrounding: room size, lighting, decorations, furnishings Body Language facial expressions, gestures, postures Sounds Voice Tone, Volume, Speech rate Types of Communication Based on Purpose and Style Based on style and purpose, there are two main categories of communication and they both bears their own characteristics. Communication types based on style and purpose are: 1. Formal Communication 2. Informal Communication Formal Communication In formal communication, certain rules, conventions and principles are followed while communicating message. Formal communication occurs in formal and official style. Usually professional settings, corporate meetings, conferences undergoes in formal pattern. In formal communication, use of slang and foul language is avoided and correct pronunciation is required. Authority lines are needed to be followed in formal communication. Informal Communication Informal communication is done using channels that are in contrast with formal communication channels. Its just a casual talk. It is established for societal affiliations of members in an organization and face-to-face discussions. It happens among friends and family. In informal communication use of slang words, foul language is not restricted. Usually. informal communication is done orally and using gestures.

Informal communication, Unlike formal communication, doesnt follow authority lines. In an organization, it helps in finding out staff grievances as people express more when talking informally. Informal communication helps in building relationships.

Oral Communication - Meaning, Advantages and Limitations Oral communication implies communication through mouth. It includes individuals conversing with each other, be it direct conversation or telephonic conversation. Speeches, presentations, discussions are all forms of oral communication. Oral communication is generally recommended when the communication matter is of temporary kind or where a direct interaction is required. Face to face communication (meetings, lectures, conferences, interviews, etc.) is significant so as to build a rapport and trust. Advantages of Oral Communication

There is high level of understanding and transparency in oral communication as it is interpersonal.

There is no element of rigidity in oral communication. There is flexibility for allowing changes in the decisions previously taken. The feedback is spontaneous in case of oral communication. Thus, decisions can be made quickly without any Oral communication is not only time saving, but it also saves upon money and efforts. delay. Oral communication is best in case of problem resolution. The conflicts, disputes and many issues/differences can be put to an end by talking them over. Oral communication is an essential for teamwork and group energy. Oral communication promotes a receptive and encouraging morale among organizational employees. Oral communication can be best used to transfer private and confidential information/matter.

Disadvantages/Limitations of Oral Communication

Relying only on oral communication may not be sufficient as business communication is formal and very organized. Oral communication is less authentic than written communication as they are informal and not as organized as written communication. Oral communication is time-saving as far as daily interactions are concerned, but in case of meetings, long speeches consume lot of time and are unproductive at times. Oral communications are not easy to maintain and thus they are unsteady. There may be misunderstandings as the information is not complete and may lack essentials. It requires attentiveness and great receptivity on part of the receivers/audience.

Oral communication (such as speeches) is not frequently used as legal records except in investigation work. Written Communication - Meaning, Advantages and Disadvantages

Written communication has great significance in todays business world. It is an innovative activity of the mind. Effective written communication is essential for preparing worthy promotional materials for business development. Speech came before writing. But writing is more unique and formal than speech. Effective writing involves careful choice of words, their organization in correct order in sentences formation as well as cohesive composition of sentences. Also, writing is more valid and reliable than speech. But while speech is spontaneous, writing causes delay and takes time as feedback is not immediate. Advantages of Written Communication Written communication helps in laying down apparent principles, policies and rules for running of an organization.

It is a permanent means of communication. Thus, it is useful where record maintenance is required. It assists in proper delegation of responsibilities. While in case of oral communication, it is impossible to fix and delegate responsibilities on the grounds of speech as it can be taken back by the speaker or he may refuse to acknowledge. Written communication is more precise and explicit. Effective written communication develops and enhances an organizations image. It provides ready records and references. Legal defenses can depend upon written communication as it provides valid records. Disadvantages of Written Communication Written communication does not save upon the costs. It costs huge in terms of stationery and the manpower employed in writing/typing and delivering letters.

Also, if the receivers of the written message are separated by distance and if they need to clear their doubts, the response is not spontaneous.

Written communication is time-consuming as the feedback is not immediate. The encoding and sending of message takes time.

Effective written communication requires great skills and competencies in language and vocabulary use. Poor writing skills and quality have a negative impact on organizations reputation.

Too much paper work and e-mails burden is involved.

What is Non Verbal Communication ? It is communication of feelings, emotions, attitudes, and thoughts through body movements / gestures / eye contact, etc. The components of Non Verbal Communication are:

Kinesics: It is the study of facial expressions, postures & gestures. Did you know that while in Argentina to raise a fist in the air with knuckles pointing outwards expresses victory, in Lebanon, raising a closed fist is considered rude?

Oculesics: It is the study of the role of eye contact in non verbal communication. Did you know that in the first 90 sec - 4 min you decide that you are interested in someone or not. Studies reveal that 50% of this first impression comes from non-verbal communication which includes oculesics. Only 7% of comes from words - that we actually say.

Haptics: It is the study of touching. Did you know that acceptable level of touching vary from one culture to another? In Thailand, touching someone's head may be considered as rude.

Proxemics: It is the study of measurable distance between people as they interact. Did you know that the amount of personal space when having an informal conversation should vary between 18 inches - 4 feet while, the personal distance needed when speaking to a crowd of people should be around 10-12 feet? Chronemics: It is the study of use of time in non verbal communication. Have you ever observed that while AN employee will not worry about running a few minutes late to meet a colleague, a manager who has a meeting with the CEO, a late arrival will be considered as a nonverbal cue that he / she does not give adequate respect to his superior?

Paralinguistics: It is the study of variations in pitch, speed, volume, and pauses to convey meaning. Interestingly, when the speaker is making a presentation and is looking for a response, he will pause. However, when no response is desired, he will talk faster with minimal pause.

Physical Appearance: Your physical appearance always contributes towards how people perceive you. Neatly combed hair, ironed clothes and a lively smile will always carry more weight than words.

Remember, what we say is less important than how we say it as words are only 7% of our communication. Understand and enjoy non verbal communication as it helps forming better first impressions. Importance of Communication in an Organization Effective Communication is significant for managers in the organizations so as to perform the basic functions of management, i.e., Planning, Organizing, Leading and Controlling. Communication helps managers to perform their jobs and responsibilities. Communication serves as a foundation for planning. All the essential information must be communicated to the managers who in-turn must communicate the plans so as to implement them. Organizing also requires effective communication with others about their job task. Similarly leaders as managers must communicate effectively with their subordinates so as to achieve the team goals. Controlling is not possible without written and oral communication.Managers devote a great part of their time in communication. They generally devote approximately 6 hours per day in communicating. They spend great time on face to face or telephonic communication with their superiors, subordinates, colleagues, customers or suppliers. Managers also use Written Communication in form of letters, reports or memos wherever oral communication is not feasible. Thus, we can say that effective communication is a building block of successful organizations. In other words, communication acts as organizational blood. The importance of communication in an organization can be summarized as follows:

1. Communication promotes motivation by informing and clarifying the employees about the task to be done, 2. Communication is a source of information to the organizational members for decision-making process as it 3. Communication also plays a crucial role in altering individuals attitudes, i.e., a well informed individual
will have better attitude than a less-informed individual. Organizational magazines, journals, meetings and various other forms of oral and written communication help in moulding employees attitudes. helps identifying and assessing alternative course of actions. the manner they are performing the task, and how to improve their performance if it is not up to the mark.

4. Communication also helps in socializing. In todays life the only presence of another individual fosters 5. As discussed earlier, communication also assists in controlling process. It helps controlling organizational
members behaviour in various ways. There are various levels of hierarchy and certain principles and guidelines that employees must follow in an organization. They must comply with organizational policies, perform their job role efficiently and communicate any work problem and grievance to their superiors. Thus, communication helps in controlling function of management. An effective and efficient communication system requires managerial proficiency in delivering and receiving messages. A manager must discover various barriers to communication, analyze the reasons for their occurrence and take preventive steps to avoid those barriers. Thus, the primary responsibility of a manager is to develop and maintain an effective communication system in the organization. Communication Flows in an Organization In an organization, communication flows in 5 main directions1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Downward Upward Lateral Diagonal External communication. It is also said that one cannot survive without communication.

1. Downward Flow of Communication: Communication that flows from a higher level in an organization to a
lower level is a downward communication. In other words, communication from superiors to subordinates in a chain of command is a downward communication. This communication flow is used by the managers to transmit work-related information to the employees at lower levels. Employees require this information for performing their jobs and for meeting the expectations of their managers. Downward communication is used by the managers for the following purposes Providing feedback on employees performance

Giving job instructions Providing a complete understanding of the employees job as well as to communicate them how their job is related to other jobs in the organization. Communicating the organizations mission and vision to the employees. Highlighting the areas of attention. Organizational publications, circulars, letter to employees, group meetings etc are all examples of downward communication. In order to have effective and error-free downward communication, managers must:

Specify communication objective Ensure that the message is accurate, specific and unambiguous. Utilize the best communication technique to convey the message to the receiver in right form

2. Upward Flow of Communication: Communication that flows to a higher level in an organization is called
upward communication. It provides feedback on how well the organization is functioning. The subordinates use upward communication to convey their problems and performances to their superiors. The subordinates also use upward communication to tell how well they have understood the downward communication. It can also be used by the employees to share their views and ideas and to participate in the decision-making process.

Upward communication leads to a more committed and loyal workforce in an organization because the employees are given a chance to raise and speak dissatisfaction issues to the higher levels. The managers get to know about the employees feelings towards their jobs, peers, supervisor and organization in general. Managers can thus accordingly take actions for improving things. Grievance Redressal System, Complaint and Suggestion Box, Job Satisfaction surveys etc all help in improving upward communication. Other examples of Upward Communication are -performance reports made by low level management for reviewing by higher level management, employee attitude surveys, letters from employees, employee-manager discussions etc.

3. Lateral / Horizontal Communication: Communication that takes place at same levels of hierarchy in an
organization is called lateral communication, i.e., communication between peers, between managers at same levels or between any horizontally equivalent organizational member. The advantages of horizontal communication are as follows: It is time saving.

It facilitates co-ordination of the task.

It facilitates co-operation among team members.

It provides emotional and social assistance to the organizational members.

It helps in solving various organizational problems.

It is a means of information sharing

It can also be used for resolving conflicts of a department with other department or conflicts within a department.

4. Diagonal Communication: Communication that takes place between a manager and employees of other
workgroups is called diagonal communication. It generally does not appear on organizational chart. For instance - To design a training module a training manager interacts with an Operations personnel to enquire about the way they perform their task. External Communication: Communication that takes place between a manager and external groups such as - suppliers, vendors, banks, financial institutes etc. For instance - To raise capital the Managing director would interact with the Bank Manager.

5.

Feedback is essential in communication so as to know whether the recipient has understood the message in the same terms as intended by the sender and whether he agrees to that message or not. There are lot of ways in which company takes feedback from their employees, such as : Employee surveys, memos, emails, open-door policies, company news letter etc. Employees are not always willing to provide feedback. The organization has to work a lot to get the accurate feedback. The managers encourage feedback by asking specific questions, allowing their employees to express general views, etc. The organization should be receptive to their employees feedback. Feedback Communication

Feedback is your audiences response; it enables you to evaluate the effectiveness of your message. If your audience doesnt understand what you mean, you can tell by the response and then refine the message accordingly. Giving your audience a chance to provide feedback is crucial for maintaining an open communication climate. The manager must create an environment that encourages feedback. For example after explaining the job to the subordinated he must ask them whether they have understood it or not. He should ask questions like Do you understand?, Do you have any doubts? etc. At the same time he must allow his subordinated to express their views also. A manger should ensure that a feedback should: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Focus on a particular behaviour - It should be specific rather than being general. Impersonal - Feedback should be job related, the manager should not criticize anyone personally. Goal oriented - If we have something negative to say about the person, we should always direct it to the recipients goal. Well timed - Feedback is most effective when there is a short gap between the recipients behaviour and the receipt of that feedback. Use I statements - Manager should make use of statements with the words like I, However etc. For example instead of sayingYou were absent from work yesterday, manager should sayI was annoyes when you missed your work yesterday. Ensure understanding - For feedback to be effective, the manager should make sure that the recipients understands the feedback properly. While giving negative feedback to the recipient, the manager should not mention the factors which are not in control of the recipient.

Communication Barriers - Reasons for Communication Breakdown

Communication is a process beginning with a sender who encodes the message and passes it through some channel to the receiver who decodes the message. Communication is fruitful if and only if the messages sent by the sender is interpreted with same meaning by the receiver. If any kind of disturbance blocks any step of communication, the message will be destroyed. Due to such disturbances, managers in an organization face severe problems. Thus the managers must locate such barriers and take steps to get rid of them. There are several barriers that affects the flow of communication in an organization. These barriers interrupt the flow of communication from the sender to the reciever, thus making communication ineffective. It is essential for managers to overcome these barriers. The main barriers of communication are summarized below. Following are the main communication barriers:

1. Perceptual and Language Differences: Perception is generally how each individual interprets the world around him. All
generally want to receive messages which are significant to them. But any message which is against their values is not accepted. A same event may be taken differently by different individuals. For example : A person is on leave for a month due to personal reasons (family member being critical). The HR Manager might be in confusion whether to retain that employee or not, the immediate manager might think of replacement because his teams productivity is being hampered, the family members might take him as an emotional support. The linguistic differences also lead to communication breakdown. Same word may mean different to different individuals. For example: consider a word value.

a. What is the value of this Laptop? b. I value our relation? c. What is the value of learning technical skills?
Value means different in different sentences. Communication breakdown occurs if there is wrong perception by the receiver.

2. Information Overload: Managers are surrounded with a pool of information. It is essential to control this information flow else

3. Inattention: At times we just not listen, but only hear. For example a traveler may pay attention to one NO PARKING sign, but
if such sign is put all over the city, he no longer listens to it. Thus, repetitive messages should be ignored for effective communication. Similarly if a superior is engrossed in his paper work and his subordinate explains him his problem, the superior may not get what he is saying and it leads to disappointment of subordinate. Time Pressures: Often in organization the targets have to be achieved within a specified time period, the failure of which has adverse consequences. In a haste to meet deadlines, the formal channels of communication are shortened, or messages are partially given, i.e., not completely transferred. Thus sufficient time should be given for effective communication. Distraction/Noise: Communication is also affected a lot by noise to distractions. Physical distractions are also there such as, poor lightning, uncomfortable sitting, unhygienic room also affects communication in a meeting. Similarly use of loud speakers interferes with communication. Emotions: Emotional state at a particular point of time also affects communication. If the receiver feels that communicator is angry he interprets that the information being sent is very bad. While he takes it differently if the communicator is happy and jovial (in that case the message is interpreted to be good and interesting). Complexity in Organizational Structure: Greater the hierarchy in an organization (i.e. more the number of managerial levels), more is the chances of communication getting destroyed. Only the people at the top level can see the overall picture while the people at low level just have knowledge about their own area and a little knowledge about other areas.

the information is likely to be misinterpreted or forgotten or overlooked. As a result communication is less effective.

4. 5. 6. 7.

8. Poor retention: Human memory cannot function beyond a limit. One cant always retain what is being told specially if he is not
interested or not attentive. This leads to communication breakdown.

Seven Cs of Effective Communication There are 7 Cs of effective communication which are applicable to both written as well as oral communication. These are as follows:

1. Completeness - The communication must be complete. It should convey all facts required by the audience. The sender of the

Complete communication develops and enhances reputation of an organization.

message must take into consideration the receivers mind set and convey the message accordingly. A complete communication has following features: Moreover, they are cost saving as no crucial information is missing and no additional cost is incurred in conveying extra message if the communication is complete. A complete communication always gives additional information wherever required. It leaves no questions in the mind of receiver. Complete communication helps in better decision-making by the audience/ readers/ receivers of message as they get all desired and crucial information. It persuades the audience.

2. Conciseness - Conciseness means wordiness, i.e, communicating what you want to convey in least
possible words without forgoing the other Cs of communication. Conciseness is a necessity for effective communication. Concise communication has following features:

It is both time-saving as well as cost-saving.

It underlines and highlights the main message as it avoids using excessive and needless words. Concise communication provides short and essential message in limited words to the audience. Concise message is more appealing and comprehensible to the audience. Concise message is non-repetitive in nature.

3. Consideration - Consideration implies stepping into the shoes of others. Effective communication must
take the audience into consideration, i.e, the audiences view points, background, mind-set, education level,

etc. Make an attempt to envisage your audience, their requirements, emotions as well as problems. Ensure that the self-respect of the audience is maintained and their emotions are not at harm. Modify your words in message to suit the audiences needs while making your message complete. Features of considerate communication are as follows:

Emphasize on you approach.

Empathize with the audience and exhibit interest in the audience. This will stimulate a positive reaction from the audience. Show optimism towards your audience. Emphasize on what is possible rather than what is impossible. Lay stress on positive words such as jovial, committed, thanks, warm, healthy, help, etc.

4. Clarity - Clarity implies emphasizing on a specific message or goal at a time, rather than trying to achieve
too much at once. Clarity in communication has following features:

It makes understanding easier. Complete clarity of thoughts and ideas enhances the meaning of message. Clear message makes use of exact, appropriate and concrete words.

5. Concreteness - Concrete communication implies being particular and clear rather than fuzzy and general.
Concreteness strengthens the confidence. Concrete message has following features:

It is supported with specific facts and figures. It makes use of words that are clear and that build the reputation. Concrete messages are not misinterpreted.

6. Courtesy - Courtesy in message implies the message should show the senders expression as well as
should respect the receiver. The sender of the message should be sincerely polite, judicious, reflective and enthusiastic. Courteous message has following features: Courtesy implies taking into consideration both viewpoints as well as feelings of the receiver of the message.

Courteous message is positive and focused at the audience. It makes use of terms showing respect for the receiver of message. It is not at all biased.

7. Correctness - Correctness in communication implies that there are no grammatical errors in

communication. Correct communication has following features:

The message is exact, correct and well-timed. If the communication is correct, it boosts up the confidence level. Correct message has greater impact on the audience/ readers. It checks for the precision and accurateness of facts and figures used in the message. It makes use of appropriate and correct language in the message.

Awareness of these 7 Cs of communication makes you an effective communicator.